Google is taking strict action against those exploiting its Bard AI. The search engine giant has filed a lawsuit against individuals believed to be based in Vietnam, who are exploiting the buzz surrounding generative AI to distribute malware disguised as a downloadable version of its AI chatbot Bard. This fraudulent scheme, uncovered by Google’s vigilant security team, targets unsuspecting users, particularly those with business and advertiser accounts on social media platforms.
The deceitful scheme involves the scammers creating social media pages and running ads that entice users to download a purported “unpublished” version of Bard. However, instead of the promised AI tool, unsuspecting individuals receive malware that surreptitiously steals their social media credentials, granting the scammers access to their personal accounts.
“Our first lawsuit targets bad actors who misled numerous people around the world looking to use Google’s AI tools into unknowingly downloading malware. The fraudsters created social media pages and ran ads that encouraged people to “download” Bard, our freely available generative AI tool that does not need to be downloaded. The ads instead led people to download malware that compromised their social media accounts,” Google wrote in a blog post. It has filed nearly 300 takedowns related to this group of bad actors since April.
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Google says it has filed the lawsuit with the hope that it will not only stop these scamsters but also discourage others from engaging in similar behaviour. The lawsuit’s goal is not only to cease these actions but also to bring attention to the damage such fraudulent takedowns can inflict on small businesses nationwide.
In another lawsuit, Google aims to address the abuse of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by certain individuals or entities. The DMCA is designed to protect internet users and copyright holders by providing a framework for addressing copyright infringement online while promoting innovation.
Google lawsuit is targeting “bad actors” who allegedly exploited the DMCA by submitting fake copyright claims to Google. These false claims, made through multiple Google accounts, reportedly led to the removal of websites belonging to over 100,000 businesses. The consequence was significant financial losses and wasted employee hours for these affected businesses. The goal of the lawsuit is not only to stop this alleged abuse but also to serve as a deterrent for others and raise awareness about the negative impact that fraudulent copyright takedowns can have on small businesses.
